Luke, You are My Father
by WizMonCruWil
Summary: I have always loved Luke and Rory's relationship, so I wanted to map out their father-daughter moments across the series. For vignettes that reflect actual episodes, some might contain accurate dialogue, some might not. I had to do a lot of sleuthing on YouTube to find these scenes, and learn what episode number they were. Please, enjoy!
1. Chicken Pox

**Chicken Pox**

It was a busy day at the Independence Inn. Lorelai Gilmore was running herself ragged working the front desk. Just as Michel was talking in her ear about some wedding guests arriving for their event, the front desk phone rang.

"Independence Inn. This is Lorelai Gilmore speaking….. Oh, hi, Mrs. Saunders… What?... Rory has the chicken pox? Oh….. is she burning up?... 102? Oh, God….." Lorelai bit her lip. "I don't know if I can get away from the Inn…. Of course, I understand you have to send her home…." She got a sudden flash of inspiration. "Mrs. Saunders, I have an idea, let me call you back!" She hung up before immediately dialing another number…..

* * *

Lunch rush was always busy at Luke's Diner. Luke Danes was trying to keep himself calm, or at least relatively less gruff, as he took his customers' orders. Suddenly, the phone rang on the wall. Just what he needed….. but he picked up anyway.

"Luke's Diner."

"Luke? It's Lorelai."

"Well, that explains why you're not in here, nagging me for your coffee."

"Rough day," Lorelai explained. "And it just got worse! Rory's school called and she has the chicken pox! I can't get away from the Inn."

Luke dropped everything. "I'm so there. I'll get her!"

"Would you? Oh, Luke, thank you!" Lorelai gushed.

"Wait – what if they ask why I'm there?"

"Just tell them Lorelai Gilmore sent you and you won't have a bit of trouble. You're the best ever, Luke!"

Luke ended the call, yelling for Caesar to hold down the fort as he raced for his truck to head for Stars Hollow Middle School.

* * *

When Luke arrived at the school, he followed the signs to the nurse's office. There, he found 12-year-old Rory Gilmore with red dots all over her face, hot with a fever, and coughing. Though he had only known the Gilmore girls for about a year, Luke's heart went out to the little girl.

"Luke? What are you doing here?"

"Your mom couldn't get away from the Inn, honey. She tapped me to come pick you up." Luke noticed the nurse frown. "If you need proof, I can get her mother on the phone right now." This he did, and Lorelai confirmed her consent. Permission in writing may have been preferable, but as this was an unforeseen circumstance, such a luxury was not an option for the school. Picking Rory up as though she weighed nothing, Luke carried her to his truck and placed her in the passenger seat. He then set his sights on Number 37, Maple Street.

* * *

Rory fell asleep on the drive over. Upon arriving home, Luke carried her into the house, letting himself in through the spare key that Lorelai had hidden; she had directed him as to where it was. Luke then carried Rory upstairs, going room to room until he found what must be her bed. Placing the little girl into it, he removed her socks and shoes before letting her sleep on the comforter. Tucking her in would be a poor choice, considering she had a fever. And he figured that it was Lorelai's place to change Rory into jammies if she wanted to. All Luke could do at this point was to kiss Rory's forehead. It was burning. "Good girl. Rest easy." Stealing back downstairs, he figured out how to operate the TV, waiting on the couch until Lorelai came home.

The elder Gilmore arrived a few hours later, around dusk. "Oh, Luke, you didn't have to stay!"

"The heck you talking about? Couldn't leave Rory in the house all alone! Besides, I cleared it with Caesar. I'll be back to work in the morning."

Lorelai pointed up the stairs. "Is she…..?"

"She fell asleep on the drive back and hasn't moved since. I didn't tuck her in, given how hot she is; her forehead is burning. Shoes and socks removed, but I left the rest up to you."

"You are a saint!" Lorelai patted his shoulder affectionately. Then she sprang into action, rushing for the kitchen to grab medicine. Luke followed her.

"Do you want me to stay? Cause I can….."

"Oh, no, don't let me keep you! You've done more than enough, Luke. Thank you."

Luke nodded, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. "Say goodbye to Rory for me. And call me with any updates." Then he left.

* * *

It was the middle of the night when Luke was pulled from a deep sleep by the ringing of his apartment phone. Living above the diner as he did, he sometimes didn't know if it was a blessing or a curse to have two phones in the same building, especially at this time of night. But he reached over and picked up anyhow. "Hello?"

"Oh, Luke, I'm sorry, I woke you up didn't I?"

Lorelai's voice woke up Luke faster than he otherwise would have. "Is Rory OK?"

"Her fever's spiked. She woke up just a little bit ago. She was calling for her Daddy."

Luke groaned, remembering Lorelai's grousing about Christopher, the mystical deadbeat dad who had ensured Rory's existence and then little else. Luke sometimes wondered if the little prick was more myth than man. "Oh, I'm sorry….."

"No, don't be, it's just that…. when I tried to explain to her, Rory said, 'No! Daddy! Luke!' I think….. when she said Daddy, she meant you."

There was a brief pause as Luke considered this. He found himself blushing, even as his brain tried to brush it off with some joke about how Rory must have passed the chicken pox off to him. "I'm coming right over."

"Luke, it's OK, it's the middle of the night…."

"No arguments. I'm coming."

* * *

Luke didn't even have to ring the doorbell for Lorelai to let him in. Upon entering, he took the stairs two at a time to reach Rory's room. He found the tween sitting up in bed, coughing and with hot tears running down her cheeks.

"Daddy, it hurts…" Rory moaned, looking directly at Luke. But there was something about the look in her eyes that indicated she was not all there.

"She's delirious," Luke concluded without a hint of irony, hoping his diagnosis did not come off as some denial of Rory's claim that he was her father. He turned to Lorelai. "Have you given her any more medicine?"

"I have. Twice!" Lorelai said, her eyes filled with worry.

Luke racked his brain, then suddenly remembered when he and his sister Liz had gotten the chicken pox as children. "Lorelai, do you have any bubble bath mix?"

She nodded.

"Get it, and run a bath filled with it. We need to get Rory cool."

Lorelai obeyed lickety-split. Fetching the bubble bath mix, she and Luke split forces. He filled the bath, while she stripped Rory and then carried her to the tub. Luke dutifully waited outside the bathroom until Rory was submerged. Lorelai then let him back in. Luke sat on the tiles next to the tub.

"How you feeling, princess?"

"I feel cooler. It's just that….. I woke up and it was dark. And you were gone."

Luke glanced away, even though he had nothing to be ashamed about. "Sorry, kiddo. I waited until your mom came home from work, and she took it from there."

Rory leaned back in the tub, her eyes fluttering as she began to drift off in the suds of the tub. She blindly reached for Luke's hand. "Daddy, I want mashed potatoes."

Chalking up her 'Daddy' reference to her still being in a delirious state, Luke laughed. "All right, princess. I promise I'll make you as much mashed potatoes as you want."

Within minutes, Rory was asleep in the tub. When Luke readily agreed to stay the night without being asked to, Lorelai looked thoroughly grateful. She gave him a hug from behind. "You're my hero."

* * *

For the next week, Luke slept on the Gilmores' couch. He had Caesar take over duties at the diner, opting instead to stay home all day, every day and cater to Rory's every whim while Lorelai was working at the Inn. Such duties pretty much consisted of cooking pan after pan of mashed potatoes. When Luke had exhausted Lorelai's entire supply of the foodstuff, he would briefly leave Rory in the house as he popped over to Taylor Doose's grocery to buy more. In fact, mashed potatoes were all Rory would eat for that entire week.


	2. 1x06: You Blew Up Balloons for Me?

**1x06: "You Blew Up Balloons for Me?"**

October 8th, 2000. Rory Gilmore entered Luke's Diner alongside her best friend, Lane Kim. Making a beeline for the counter, both girls ignored the diner's morning rush, as well as the TV blaring election coverage. The presidential contest between Vice President Al Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush was in its final month, and was already predicted to be a squeaker.

Luke sauntered up to the counter. He noticed that Rory looked glum. "What's the matter with you?"

Rory sighed. "My dad promised me he would call for my birthday before I left for school. But then Mom tried ringing him, and his number's been disconnected. Again."

Lane rested a hand on her best friend's shoulder. "Forget about that. Look over there!" Rory followed her gaze to the corner of the diner. On one table sat an immaculate coffee cake; the chair was adorned with balloons. Rory turned back to Luke.

"You blew up balloons for me?"

"Yup," Luke shrugged, his expression not even changing from the almost-frown on his face and without even pausing in the cup he was cleaning.

"Aw, Luke! You old softie!" Rory grinned, grabbing her schoolbooks as she popped over to her surprise present.


	3. 2x19: I Care More About Her Than I Do My

**2x19: "I Care More About Her Than I Do Myself"**

Lorelai Gilmore was in a panic. She had just received a call from the Stars Hollow Hospital that Luke's nephew, Jess Mariano, had gotten in a car accident with Rory, resulting in a broken arm for her daughter. Jess, meanwhile, was nowhere to be found. Now, as interested parties, she and Luke were arguing over what to do.

"I have to find my nephew," Luke stressed.

"Oh, you mean the little punk who almost got my daughter killed? Unless you plan on kicking his ass for me, I would say your priorities aren't straight! Rory's in the hospital with a broken arm!"

"Priorities straight? That's ridiculous! You know I care more about her than I do myself!" Luke barked. "But if we want to get to the bottom of this, it starts with finding out where the hell Jess is! Go to Rory, and I will get there as soon as I find my nephew!"

Luke and Lorelai parted ways unresolved.


	4. 3x17: That Awkward Hug Though

**3x17 That Awkward Hug Though**

It was a beautiful morning in Luke's Diner. Lorelai and Rory were seated at one of their usual tables, stacks of books and papers surrounding them.

"OK, that's…. looks like Harvard definitely has the smallest class sizes!"

"OK, good, we've got our first entry here. It's a Pro for Harvard!" Rory dutifully went to fill out the Pro/Con lists she and her mom had made for her top three school choices.

"Whoa, whoa! Those are not the final, official Pro/Con lists!" Lorelai stopped her.

"Why? What's wrong with them?"

"The lines are crooked, the printing's all sloppy! Harvard, Princeton and Yale cannot see them looking like that!"

"They're not going to see our Pro/Con lists!"

"Oh, ho! What if they subpoena them?" Lorelai cracked.

"Then I'll roll them up in a ball and eat 'em!" Rory deadpanned.

"Oh! A big Pro for Yale! They have 1,100 members of the maintenance staff – clean, clean, clean!"

"All three of these places probably have the same number," Rory pointed out.

"But Yale must be crowing about it for some reason. Princeton may only have 2."

"2? You think there's only 2 guys cleaning _all_ of Princeton?"

"Write Princeton Stinking Filthy in big letters!"

"Yeah, I'm pretending to write it as we speak…."

Just then, Kirk interrupted the girls when he tried to get them hooked into one of his latest entrepreneurial endeavors. He kept blabbering on about Humorous Topical Headlines printed daily, which resulted in a shirt referencing Babette and a bowl of oatmeal. The girls were only saved by Luke.

"No solicitors, Kirk."

"How about I cut you in for a piece of the action?" Kirk tried to bargain.

"How about I toss those shirts out the door first so you can have something to land on?" Luke called his bluff. Kirk moved away.

Luke peered over Rory's shoulder. "What's with the lists?"

"You ready? My Rory. Our Rory. Stars Hollow's Rory got into Harvard, Princeton and Yale!" Lorelai bragged.

"Wow! Wow! I can't believe it! I feel like I….." Then, Luke did something he had never done before. He awkwardly put his arms around Rory – well, really around her head – in what must have been an attempt at a congratulatory hug.

"Oh….. OK….." Rory rolled with it, giggling.

"I'm not….. good at hugging," Luke tried to brush it off.

"That's OK, I thought it worked," Rory accommodated understandingly.

"Thanks."


	5. 3x22: Stone-Cold Luke

**3x22: Stone-Cold Luke**

"Thank you, Mom! You are my guidepost for everything!" Rory expressed in the middle of her graduation speech.

"On the verge of blubbering here!" Sookie tried to hold it together from where she was seated next to a teary Lorelai.

"I'm not doing too well myself!" concurred a gentlemen a few seats down, who was next to Luke. Lorelai peered down the row, and was shocked to see _Luke_ wiping at his eyes.

"Not you too!"

"I'm blubbering, you freaks!" Luke batted her away.

* * *

After the ceremony, Rory didn't even pause as she ran into Luke's arms. He gave her a big hug. "My speech was horrible," she said over his shoulder to her mother.

"No, of course not! It was amazing! You made everyone cry, even stone-cold Luke!" Lorelai gushed.

Rory stepped out of the hug, eyeing Luke with barely concealed amusement. "Luke, you old softie! Thanks. I'm really glad that you came."

"I wouldn't have missed it," Luke smiled down at her sincerely.


	6. 4x02: Mattress In, Out and Back In Again

**4x02: Mattress In, Out, and Back In Again**

Luke groaned as he shuffled the last few feet down the hall and into Rory's dorm room. With that last of his strength, he deposited her mattress onto the bedsprings. At least now, Rory would have a proper place to sleep while at Yale. _And it better be only for sleeping….. if I get wind of anything else…._ Luke did not allow himself to go to that possibility, but he knew that assess (and maybe some genitals) would be his if anyone touched Rory, especially if it turned out to be non-consensual.

Rory, meanwhile, plopped down onto her mattress and tested it out. "Perfect!" she smiled. "Thanks for helping me move, Luke."

Luke shrugged. "Your mom needed something to haul it all here. I had my truck…." His voice trailed off, and he quickly regained his verbal footing by taking a seat in Rory's desk chair. "So…. how do you feel, princess? You ready for school?"

Rory shrugged nervously. "I hope so. It's just that….. Yale is so _big_!"

"Well….. it's different for every place, I bet. You know, cause I never went to college, and your mom couldn't, having you." Luke stumbled. God, why couldn't he talk about this more easily? "College….. it's that time where you get to….. live on your own two feet. Try life out for size. At least, that's what I've been told. So…. try everything. Go to classes, sure, get your homework done, but it's important to have fun, too. These will be the best years of your life, Rory. A time to grow. And if you're not ready for it, well, there is no hope for the rest of us!"

Rory laughed. Luke nodded, then patted her shoulder. "You're ready, princess. You can do this!"

For a moment, he thought about giving her a hug, but refrained. Lorelai might want to have that moment. So Luke mumbled something about going down to check on Rory's mom, leaving Rory to contemplate her life at Yale over the next four years.


	7. 5x13: Where the Hell Were You?

**5x13: "Where the Hell Were You?"**

"I think we need to talk," Luke told Lorelai as he followed her down the halls.

"I know, I know, I just…. let me try to find…" Lorelai promised, too busy on searching for her missing daughter in the middle of this wedding renewal that her parents had thrown together to think about what he was telling her. Trying the very next door, she walked in as Rory and some blonde guy jumped apart. Lorelai paused to collect herself. "Grandma wants a picture."

"Of this?" Rory practically squeaked.

"Rory, what are you doing?"

"Mom…."

"You're at your grandparents wedding…. renewal…. vow…. thing, whatever! They're right out there! God, Rory, I swear!"

"Rory?" Christopher's voice could be heard coming down the hall. Before Lorelai could stop him, he appeared in the doorway. "OK, don't, Chris, it's all right…."

Too late. Christopher's eyes had set on the blonde interloper. "What the hell are you doing in here with my daughter?" Chris asked, his chirpy voice barely masking a dangerous fury.

"I…." the blondie tried to stammer out.

"You stay away from her….. That is my daughter! I will kick your ass! I will kick your ass, you little weasel!"

"All right…." Lorelai pulled Chris away before he could go for the blonde and threw him out of the room before following him. "Get out!"

"What the hell's going on?!" Luke asked, from where he had waited for Lorelai.

"Who's that guy, Lorelai?" Chris demanded.

"Christopher, calm down! You're drunk!"

"Calm down?! There's a guy in there pawing my daughter!"

"What guy? There's a guy in there with Rory?!" Luke acted without thinking. He charged into the room; Lorelai could do nothing to stop him.

"Oh my God, Luke….." she cried, mortified as she ran after him.

"HEY! GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER; I MEAN IT! RIGHT NOW! HANDS IN THE AIR! I WANT TO SEE HANDS IN THE AIR!" Luke continued with his verbal abuse and promises to kill that hooligan even as Lorelai now threw him out of the room, too.

"Out!" the mother bellowed, slamming the door and locking it. She turned to the teenagers. "I think you'd guys better use the back way out of here," she suggested as diplomatically as she could.

"But, Dad…. Luke…." Rory yelped, indicating the raised voices of the two men just outside the door.

"I will take care of Dad and Luke," Lorelai promised. "Please go. Now!"

Rory left, leaving Lorelai to deal with her boyfriend.

"You must be Logan. I'm Lorelai," she smiled icky-poo sweetly.

"Nice to meet you," Logan helplessly, sheepishly, shrugged, even as he listened to not one, but _two_ men – Rory's father and…. uncle, maybe? - arguing over who would have the pleasure of burying him six feet under and dancing a jig on his grave.

"I'm gonna kill him!"

"No, _I'm_ gonna kill him!"

"I'd better….." Logan mumbled.

"Yeah," Lorelai nodded, and Logan ducked away.

* * *

The argument still had not abated many minutes after Rory and Logan had made their escape.

"You shouldn't have done that," Christopher shook his head. "You should have left him to me."

"Right, like you could have kicked the shit out of him while you're falling down drunk!" Luke hurled back. "Hell, the only reason you're hot and bothered about some motherfucker groping your daughter is _because_ you _are_ drunk! I was ready to bash his face in, and I'm stone-cold sober!"

Christopher was drunk, there was no denying that. But he still had enough of his faculties to understand what Luke was saying. "How _dare_ you!" he thundered. "This is not your decision to make! It is not your place to protect Rory! I needed to be there to save her; I'm her father!"

"Needed to be there? You're her father?" Luke gawked, sensing, and deciding to pounce on, the trap Christopher had essentially laid for himself. "Oh yeah? Where the hell were you when she got the chicken pox and would only eat mashed potatoes for a week? Where were you when she graduated high school – or _started college_? Huh? Who the hell moved her mattress into her dorm, and out of her dorm, and back into her dorm again?"

Christopher shifted his hands through his pockets, his mouth drawn in a tight line as he barely refrained from physically attacking Luke. But Luke didn't care. His shots had gone home, as well they should have, and he knew it. No longer was he going to let Christopher take credit for rearing Rory, even though it was his name on the birth certificate, his blood flowing through Rory's veins. For the first time, Luke was going to stake his claim - claim Rory as partially his. For it was true. She was like a daughter to him, and he would murder in cold blood any boy who tried to touch her as if she truly was his own child. And he could do that wretched deed probably worse than Christopher ever could. These thoughts filled Luke with an almost delirious pride, that he could rightfully attach his name to Rory's, and identify her as his. Reveal to the whole world that he – Luke – was the closest thing Rory had to a father. He had always considered Rory to be a little bit his, just as April biologically was, just as Jess symbolically was. Why not add Rory to that pantheon of a legacy? Shout it for the heavens to hear? Well, now he would, and Luke would do so for the rest of his life.


	8. 5x22 & 6x01: Luke, Will You Marry Me?

**5x22 & 6x01: "Luke, Will You Marry Me?"**

Luke gathered his thoughts. He had been trying to follow Lorelai's rambling explanation for the last few minutes as they sat alone in his closed diner. From what he could gather, Rory was actually dropping out of school, on account of some emotional, mental….. baggage, he wasn't sure what it was, still. Finally, the diner owner found his voice. "OK, I'm sorry. I have to jump in here. I know you think you have this thing handled, but I can help." He sighed long and low, gathering his thoughts. "First off, we call Yale, and we tell 'em something like…. uh…. Rory had a chemical imbalance and she was mentally out of her mind when she told them she was…. dropping out. Then, we get her out of your parents' house – whatever way we can – lock her up in her room, with you, cuz you can talk her into this; you can talk _any_ body into _any_ thing! And if worst comes to worst….. we will drive her to school, every day, and we will follow her to class, and camp out there to make sure she _goes_! I'll take morning classes, you take afternoon classes, or the other way around, if it works out better with your schedule, and…. I know there's a few kinks to work out, and the kidnapping thing might be a little problematic, but either way, she is _not_ quitting school! This was her _dream_! I am not gonna let this happen!"

Luke paused to catch his breath after his diatribe to find Lorelai gazing at him almost lovingly. "What?"

"Luke, will you marry me?"

As Lorelai would tell it to friends and family later: "In that moment, when I realized how much he cared for Rory…. That was it. Suddenly…. I knew I was ready….."


	9. 6x07: My Stepfather to Be

**6x07: My Stepfather to Be**

It was the night of Rory's 21st birthday, and she was hosting a party at her grandmother's DAR club. Chatting with some older ladies, the birthday girl suddenly spotted a returning guest from across the way and excused herself. Luke now approached her.

"Hey, little tip: we have beer here!" Rory announced by means of greeting.

"Ah, the magic words. I was just heading over to the bar," Luke joked.

"Have you tried a Rory yet?" Rory inquired.

"Yes, I have. Not my kind of drink," Luke grimaced.

"Mine neither."

"Well, Lorelai will be glad to hear it," Luke offered up.

The name elicited a silent nod. Lorelai and Rory had not spoken to each other for months, ever since Rory had dropped out of Yale. The pain was still tangible, bitter, and Luke noticed.

"So, you two haven't talked yet?"

"Nope. Not yet," Rory bit her lip.

"Well, it was nice of you to invite her here. It means a lot," Luke said, taking up the duty of acting as intermediary messenger.

"I'm glad she came. I'm glad you both came!" Rory expressed as sincerely as she could.

"Oh! Uh, here….." Luke suddenly remembered, digging through his pockets. "I've got something for ya….. Birthday present." He handed Rory a tiny red velvet box.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I brought it just in case your mother didn't bring one, but she did. It's the one on the top of your….. present mountain over there, but since I already had it in my pocket…."

Rory hid a smile as Luke tried to brush away a touching gesture as if it was no big deal. Then she opened the box. It was a beautiful necklace. "Luke…."

"It was my mother's," Luke explained self-deprecatingly. "Liz can't wear it cuz her neck's too fat, but your neck looks….. you know…. Not fat. It was sitting around in my drawer, so I thought, 'Hey, give it to Rory!' You know, you're lucky, cuz Caesar's birthday's next month and…. I know he likes pearls."

Rory laughed through the whole amusing ramble. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome." Luke gave her a one-armed hug and a warm smile.

Just then, a lady approached the pair. "I saw a jewelry box and I couldn't help myself. What did ya get?" Rory showed her. "Oh! It's fantastic!"

"It's from Luke, my stepfather-to-be," Rory explained, indicating Luke.

"Well, you have exquisite taste, Luke. I'm Tweeny Halpern!"

"Tweeny works with me at the DAR," Rory filled in.

"What's the DAR?" Luke asked genuinely.

At this, Tweeny burst out laughing.


	10. 7x22: Sew All Night

**07x22: Sew All Night**

It was the night before Rory's big Bon Voyage bash in Stars Hollow, to celebrate her college graduation from Yale and her impending job covering Barack Obama's presidential campaign. It was the middle of the night, and all of the town was asleep.

But not Luke Danes. He was sitting in his darkened diner, furiously stitching – of all things – raincoats together. He felt like those prisoners who had escaped from Alcatraz Island all those decades ago under a similar method. And he only knew the basics of stitching from his mother! But, when the weatherman had predicted showers for the day of the party, Luke knew he had to do something. This was for Rory, her big moment….. and he would be damned if a bit of inclement weather ruined it.

* * *

Unfortunately, it did rain, just as the forecast had predicted. But the whole town was ready, conducting the party under thrown-together (or rather, stictched-together) ponchos and a couple of tents. Lorelai was relieved about the last-minute save, and went to Sookie to thank her profusely. But when she did, her best friend blinked.

"What do you mean? Luke stitched those raincoats together." Then, she clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh, damn! That was supposed to be a secret…."

Now it was Lorelai's turn to be shocked and confused. Turning on her heel, she tracked Luke down.

"You did all this for Rory?"

Luke just shrugged. "It was her big day, and….. I like to see you happy."

Lorelai couldn't help it, even after their bitter, drawn-out fight. She kissed him.


	11. First to Know

**First to Know**

Late fall, 2016. Luke had just closed up his diner for the night and was preparing to return home to his wife, Lorelai. _Wife_. That thought seemed surreal after all these years, and it made him feel giddy. Finally, _finally_ , they were together.

The bell tinkled over the door. Dang it! He still needed to lock up.

"We're closed…." Luke stopped when he saw his stepdaughter, Rory standing in the doorway. She had an almost stricken look on her face. "Oh. Rory! Sorry, I thought you were…." Luke's voice trailed off, and his stomach tightened when he noticed the stricken look had not left Rory's eyes. "Rory? Princess, what's wrong?"

There was a brief silence. And then, Rory's face scrunched up and she began to weep. Luke stared, concerned for her and yet unsure what to do. "I'm….. I'm pregnant….. I just found out….. Luke, please don't tell Mom; I haven't told her yet! I know you must be disappointed….. I just want to come home…. Please don't be mad…."

Luke walked around the counter. No longer needing to think about it, he pulled Rory into a hug. Now she really broke down, sending wracking sobs into his flannel shirt. All Luke could do was rub soothing circles along her back, dare to kiss her hair.

"The only person I am mad at is the little punk who did this to you – who is now at the top of my Most Wanted List."

Rory laughed, hiccupping through her tears.

"Rory, no matter what your mom says, I will be here for you. And we will get through this as a family. I promise."

Rory's sobs began anew, as she nestled her head into Luke's chest. Ever since he had begun dating Lorelai, Luke had allowed more affectionate moments like this between himself and Rory, despite his gruff exterior. Now family by marriage, these moments would only continue.

Finally, Rory let out a deep, shuddering breath, and relaxed in Luke's arms. She was as calm in his embrace as any daughter would be with her father.

Hours passed like this. Finally, Luke nudged her. "Rory?"

"Hmmm?"

"Uh…. we'd better get home. Your mom's probably waiting."

"Let's just stay like this for a little bit. Please."

So they did.


	12. Walk Me Down the Aisle?

**Walk Me Down the Aisle?**

Rory's baby was only a few months old. Despite the unusual circumstances, Luke had taken to grand-parenting quite well. Three adults and a baby made for an interesting living arrangement, but no one could ever say that it was boring.

Perhaps that's what motivated Luke to close up the diner that much faster this late fall night, his eagerness to get back to his family.

Of course, things would be a lot better if the kid's father was involved. Or even around. By the time Rory had told that Logan Huntzberger punk about their child he was already married to another woman. He bolted upon hearing the news, just as Luke feared. His excuse of his hands being tied and fear of his family learning did nothing to quell Luke's animosity for the boy. Yes, he did use the word 'boy' – only a man would own up to what Logan had done, and he had not.

The bell over the door now tinkled. This time, Luke didn't have to prepare his We're Closed explanation; he knew who it was before he even turned around.

"All right, all right, princess, I'm coming…." As predicted, he turned to find his stepdaughter in the doorway, a beaming smile on her face. "OK, something's up. You don't smile that wide unless you have a mug of coffee in your hands!"

At this joke, Rory oddly blushed. Luke chuckled. "Oh, I get it. It's that boy you've been seeing…. what's his name…. Marty? You know your step-cousin thinks he's a geek, right?" – a joking allusion to Jess.

Rory laughed, the blush not leaving her face. "Well, it's more than just coffee, Luke, because I've… I've fallen in love."

Luke blinked. "You've…. you've _what_?"

"Marty's always carried a torch for me, ever since our time at Yale. And he was one of the first of my friends to come help when news broke about the baby. We started going out a few months ago, and well….. he just asked me to marry him. And I said yes!" Rory now flashed the engagement ring on her finger.

Luke dropped the pot he was cleaning. He ran around the counter and hugged Rory, picking her up and spinning her about in his arms. "Princess, that's amazing!" He suddenly paused as the realization hit him. Some young whipper-snapper had just asked his daughter for her hand in marriage. He pulled back to look Rory in the face. "He'll be good to you?"

Rory laughed. "Yes, Luke, of course he will!"

"Tough. He's still not getting out of the Fear-of-God speech I have planned for him!"

Rory giggled. "All right. Just don't do it at the wedding, OK? You'll be busy."

"Yeah, making sure your mom makes it through in one piece!"

"More than that." Rory suddenly bit her lip. "Hopefully. You see, there's something I wanted to ask you…."

"Name it, sweetheart, and it's done."

"Would you…. walk me down the aisle?"

There was a small pause, as Luke blinked, processing what had just been offered. He cleared his throat. "Well…. I'm honored, Rory, but…. don't you think your… father should do it?"

Rory blinked back tears, even as she beamed at Luke's awkward adorableness. " _Christopher_? Don't you understand? Luke, _you_ are my father. You always did the things fathers should do. You never forgot my birthday. You went to both my graduations. You fed me. You raised me. You're not my father by blood, but you are my father in all else. And there is no one else who I would want to give me away. Not even Christopher. You deserve the credit."

Luke did not even try to hide the tears streaming down his face throughout Rory's heartfelt speech. "In that case, princess…. sign me up! I'd be honored."

And with that, father and daughter embraced.

* * *

 **A/N: I can hear the howls from here, especially from Team Jess. "Jess is her Luke! Logan is her Christopher!" And on and on. First of all, Team Jess, you do realize that he and Rory are now step-cousins, so a relationship for them would be _incest_ , right? Dean is married, I am going to assume Logan runs like a fugitive, and Tristan is... Tristan was never a thing. So that leaves the geeky friend who was never elevated to boyfriend status getting the girl at the end. **


End file.
